Beautiful Blooms, Still Many Apples & Cracked Pecans

   A beautiful progression of bloom occurs each spring in our fruit trees and ornamental trees.  Peach trees have now finished blooming and dropped their petals, as the young fruit have set.  Asian pears bloomed next, then European pears.

'Shinko' Asian pears, with white blooms in front, had just started blooming on March 29, while 'China Pearl' peach trees, with pink petals at rear, were finishing their flowering period.

   Ornamental crabapples and redbud trees started blooming a week ago and are still beautiful for the next few days.  A few early-blooming apple varieties are now in bloom, but most apple varieties are still in the bud stage during this 2-day cold snap, and will bloom next week as the weather gets warm.

'Prairiefire' ornamental crabapples and redbud trees are still blooming along our driveway. This scene greets you as you pull in to buy apples and pecans.

   We still have many harvested apples and cracked pecans for sale.  We have many #1 'GoldRush' apples for sale, now until we sell out in June or July.  We also have some #1 apples of some selections from my apple breeding program.
   We also have #2 apples, with small cracks or other surface damage, which are fine for making apple butter, apple pecan pancakes, applesauce, apple pecan topping for waffles, apple pie filling, etc.  We have many #2 'Enterprise' apples for sale now until whenever we sell out, and they're excellent for making apple pie filling, apple butter or other apple products.  We also have some #2 'GoldRush' apples with rain cracks, and some #2 apples of some selections from my apple breeding program, excellent for blending in applesauce or apple butter.
   Small amounts of harvested #1 apples cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  I pack them in 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to exactly 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of apples for $25.00 + tax.  You can get a 10-lb. bag each of 2 different apple varieties, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   Our harvested #2 (2nds) apples sell for just $0.93 per pound + tax, so a 20-lb. box costs $18.60 + tax, which is $7.00 less than a box of #1 apples, including tax.  If you get 40 lbs. or more of #2 'Enterprise' apples, the price goes down to just $0.88 per pound + tax, so each 20-lb. box costs $17.59 + tax, and 40 lb. of #2 'Enterprise' apples costs just $35.18 + tax.
   We'll have harvested, cracked pecans for sale now until we sell out, probably in May or June.  Our high-efficiency pecan cracking machine blows out most shell fragments, so our bags of cracked pecans contain over 75% nutmeats and less than 25% shell fragments, which come off very easily.
    We sell mixed selections from Bill's pecan breeding program in 4-pound bags.  Each bag has the equivalent of 6 pounds of in-shell pecans, and when you pick them out, you get at least 3 pounds of nutmeats.  These are all large pecans with thin shells and great taste.  Each 4-lb. bag costs $16.67 + tax.
   We also sell smaller, 1-pound bags of cracked 'Kanza' pecans.  You get at least 3/4 pound of nutmeats when you pick out these pecans.  Each 1-lb. 'Kanza' bag costs $4.63 + tax.
    Asparagus harvest should start next week, as shown in the sidebar at left.  Asparagus is sold harvested only, and will be the same price it's been for the past 5 or 6 years: $2.78 per pound + tax.
     As long as you haven't had any contact with COVID-19, you can phone 620-597-2450 a day or two ahead and leave a message with your name, day and time you'll come, and what you want to buy.  State your phone number (with area code) in your message, and we'll return your call after dark to confirm your appointment.